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'Meri Atmakatha, Meri Atmahatya': This touching poem will bring you to tears

Kumar Saurav

(Disclaimer - trigger warning)

‘In the next 15 minutes, four people will die by suicide...’

That is how poet, vlogger and ex-journalist Kumar Saurav begins his poignant poem about the reality of depression and suicidal tendencies of so many in India today. The numbers are staggering, and it should shock you — but for most people, it won’t.

As the world observes World Mental Health Day on October 10, YouTube vlogger and poet Kumar Saurav pens down a poem that echoes the misery of people with suicidal tendencies but with a made-up ‘happy’ face like that of the Joker.

The poem also reflects on the insensitivity of most people when it comes to understanding or recognising the mindset of those who are depressed and in the need of support.

“Take a look at the video, it will hurt you,” he says.

Kumar tells Yahoo Lifestyle India, “Those you know, those you don’t know, those your friends know or those your friends don’t know, those in your family or those not in your family, who hasn’t felt suicidal at some point in life?”

“You, your mum, your brother, your husband, your sister, everyone has felt so hopeless at some juncture of their life that they have felt like not living a second more. Maybe you were the reason, Maybe you were not. Some snap out of their despair, some surrender.”

On World Mental Health Day, the objective is become a little more understanding, a little more conscious, a little more caring.